pack and that will continue.” Vitor gelds early because the procedure may be easier for the younger horse that can move around in pasture after the surgery. “And if castrated younger, the colts have a tendency to grow more,” Vitor claims. The youngest

for Caballos de Cristiani is three or four, others at five. “I want the hormones to kick in and for the horse to reach his physical expectation. I like to wait for the conformation to mature, for the neck to come in, the chest to widen, and the muscle mass to grow to give them the majestic, round look of a classical horse,” Tina explains. “I’ve seen some horses gelded at one and they don’t look Baroque or they look like a cross. Compare the horse to a teenage boy. At 13 he doesn’t look like an 18 year old who doesn’t look the same as a 21 year old.” Whatever the age, our interviewees agreed

that keeping a stallion a stallion because he’s beautiful or because of tradition is not necessarily in everyone’s best interest.

WT

Warmbloods Today 29

Top: Dr. Jarmoir Oulehla inspects June Boardman’s young Lipizzan stallion Favory Canada. Photo by Sara Stafford. Bottom: June and her Lipizzan gelding, Conversano

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